Eat Breakfast to Lose Weight … and New Recipes

What’s the most important meal of the day? Breakfast – something we’ve been told for years now. This may be true, but when you’re a New Yorker, time is of the essence and breakfast may take a backseat. Bad idea! Skipping breakfast can lead to overeating later in the day. To get the low down on breakfast and get new ideas for what to eat, read this blog post by Rachel Hochstadt, nutrition student.

I can tell you as a student studying to be a dietitian, I cherish every last minute until my alarm goes off. Since I’ve adjusted to my newly instated 8-hour work day, I’m finding that eating a home-cooked meal in the AM improves my mood, stamina and it keeps my stomach from growling until lunchtime. The problem is that most breakfasts on the run tend to be loaded with calories, fat and/or refined carbs The answer – eat at home! I’m a huge fan of Pinterest, and I’m finding it’s a great outlet to find homemade breakfast items that are affordable and nutritious too.

Why breakfast?
To no surprise, many of my busy working friends tell me they skip breakfast all the time. They claim they’re “on a budget” or “too busy”, I’ve even heard “I’m watching my weight.” However, science tells us that the body needs food in the AM in order to function properly. The body is always metabolically active, and when we don’t eat for 8-12 hours; our cells are technically “starving”. The best and most efficient way to maintain a healthy body weight is to eat breakfast, in combination with other healthy snacks and meals throughout the day.

Research shows that skipping breakfast increases the likelihood that you will overeat later on. Scientists from London’s Imperial College recently found that when comparing individuals who ate a 750-calorie breakfast to a group who ate no breakfast, an MRI showed disregulated activity in the orbitofrontal cortex. This part of the brain is responsible for decisions involving pleasure and reward (particularly with food). When subjects who hadn’t eaten, were shown pictures of high-calorie foods, this part of the brain was activated much more than in those who had eaten breakfast. Numerous studies, such as these prove that people are more likely to overeat when skipping breakfast; choosing high calorie-high fat items. Here are some affordable, tasty ideas to try at home—and I promise they won’t disappoint!

Things to look for in a breakfast:
Just because something is marketed as a breakfast item, doesn’t mean it is a great choice. When we eat in the morning its important to eat a well-balanced meal that incorporate the following things:

Protein. I’ve found that trying to include 5-15 g of protein at breakfast is realistic for most people; some key breakfast items that have sufficient amounts of protein are peanut butter, eggs, greek yogurt and low-sugar cereals.

Fiber. Aim for a meal in the AM with 5+ g fiber/serving. This will keep you full for majority of the morning.

Whole grain. Refined or “white” carbs tend to make you feel hungry sooner and cause energy highs and lows. When choosing your carbohydrates, look for whole grains. They are digested more slowly by the body and provide more vitamins & minerals than plain bagels, poptarts, etc.

Healthy fats. Examples include olive oil , avocados, nuts and seeds. A good way to sneak in healthy fats at breakfast is to include some nuts in your cereal or yogurt or avocado in your omelets.

I’d like to thank Rachel Hochstadt for writing this post. Rachel is soon to be a registered dietitian and is currently completing her dietetic internship with Sodexo in the NY- Metro area. Come summer 2013, Rachel will have completed her RD exam and looking for her first job. Rachel hopes to obtain a wide variety of experiences in the next couple of years while finding her nutrition niche. Rachel enjoys fitness, traveling and spending time with friends & family.

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MEETMARTHA

I especially love problem-solving, whether it’s helping women defeat issues plaguing them for years, helping a busy executive find practical ways to get heart healthy, or providing tips to help you reverse diabetes. That’s why I’m on a constant quest to expand my knowledge by staying on top of the latest research.